The metal inner panel of a vehicle door has a plurality of openings and holes therein for mounting certain accessories and mechanisms in the door and for providing access to such accessories and mechanisms. By way of example, the inner panel of a vehicle door may have openings and holes for mounting such items as window operating mechanisms, locks and lock switches, side-view mirror controllers, loudspeakers, and so forth.
A decorative interior trim panel and arm rest are conventionally applied over the inner panel of a vehicle door. Commonly, a water deflector or shield is applied between the inner door panel and interior door trim for preventing entry of water, dirt, and the like into the vehicle body or causing damage to the interior door trim itself. Heretofore, the normal practice has been to secure a water deflector over the inner door panel prior to installing the trim panel.
Therefore, as recognized by the present invention, there exists a need in the art for a combined trim panel and water deflector or shield which permits the water deflector to be installed simultaneously with the trim panel. As further recognized by the present invention, there exists a need in the art for a door trim sealing system which obviates the need for a separate water deflector or shield.